per⋅cus⋅sion
[per-kuhsh-uh
n] 
| 1. | the striking of one body against another with some sharpness; impact; blow. |
| 2. | Medicine/Medical. the striking or tapping of the surface of a part of the body for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. |
| 3. | the striking of a musical instrument to produce tones. |
| 4. | Music.
|
| 5. | a sharp blow for detonating a percussion cap or the fuze of an artillery shell. |
| 6. | the striking of sound on the ear. |
| 7. | the act of percussing. |
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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| per·cus·sion (pər-kŭsh'ən) n.
[Latin percussiō, percussiōn-, from percussus, past participle of percutere, to percuss; see percuss.] |
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Percussion
Per*cus"sion\, n. [L. percussio: cf. F. percussion. See Percuss.]1. The act of percussing, or striking one body against another; forcible collision, esp. such as gives a sound or report. --Sir I. Newton. 2. Hence: The effect of violent collision; vibratory shock; impression of sound on the ear. The thunderlike percussion of thy sounds. --Shak. 3. (Med.) The act of tapping or striking the surface of the body in order to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the sound emitted or the sensation imparted to the fingers. Percussion is said to be immediate if the blow is directly upon the body; if some interventing substance, as a pleximeter, is, used, it is called mediate. Center of percussion. See under Center. Percussion bullet, a bullet containing a substance which is exploded by percussion; an explosive bullet. Percussion cap, a small copper cap or cup, containing fulminating powder, and used with a percussion lock to explode gunpowder. Percussion fuze. See under Fuze. Percussion lock, the lock of a gun that is fired by percussion upon fulminating powder. Percussion match, a match which ignites by percussion. Percussion powder, powder so composed as to ignite by slight percussion; fulminating powder. Percussion sieve, Percussion table, a machine for sorting ores by agitation in running water.Cite This Source
percussion
A family of musical instruments played by striking their surfaces. Percussion instruments are used to accentuate and dramatize certain notes or rhythms and include instruments such as cymbals, drums, triangles, and xylophones. (See kettledrum, snare drum, and orchestra.)
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percussion
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Main Entry: per·cus·sion
Pronunciation: p&r-'k&sh-&n
Function: noun
1 : the act or technique of tapping the surface of abody part to learn the condition of the parts beneath by the resulting sound
2 : massage consisting of the striking of a body part with light rapid blows called alsotapotement
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percussion per·cus·sion (pər-kŭsh'ən)
n.
A method of medical diagnosis in which various areas of the body, especially the chest, back, and abdomen, are tapped with the finger or a plexor to determine by resonance the condition of internal organs.
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percussion
in medicine, diagnostic procedure that entails striking the body directly or indirectly with short, sharp taps of a finger or, rarely, a hammer. The procedure was first described in 1761 by the Austrian physician Leopold Auenbrugger von Auenbrugg. Although generally ignored by his contemporaries, it is now routinely employed. The sounds produced by the procedure are helpful in determining the size and position of various internal organs, in revealing the presence of fluid or air in the chest, and in aiding in the diagnosis of certain lung disorders.
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